Progressive Conservative Finance Critic, Gerald Hawranik, says the NDP needs to stop raiding the Rainy Day Fund to cover up for seven years of continual mismanagement and overspending.

The Fiscal Stabilization Fund, otherwise known as the Rainy Day Fund, is supposed to be used only in emergency circumstances, not for ongoing expenses, he said.

“The Minister of Finance, Greg Selinger, is knowingly misleading Manitobans by painting a rosy picture of our province’s financial status,” said Hawranik.  “When the 2006 budget predicts a $2.5 million surplus, but the NDP draws more than $146 million from the Rainy Day Fund, it’s clear that routine expenses like health care expenses and infrastructure improvements haven’t been properly planned for.” 

He said Progressive Conservatives would instead create a sound comprehensive budget for Manitoba.

“Tossing millions of tax dollars at problems for short-term gain or simply devising stop-gap solutions that fail to address core issues will not fix any of Manitoba’s problems – no matter how big or small,” said Hawranik.  “Our goal is to provide Manitobans with multi-year planning in areas such as infrastructure, instead of making splashy multi-million dollar announcements on the fly.”

Hawranik said this isn’t the first time the NDP has used the Rainy Day Fund to cover its expenses.

“After seven years, the NDP government still doesn’t seem to grasp the concept of controlling expenses, overspending its budgets by a combined total of $862 million,” said Hawranik.  “Despite benefiting from an unprecedented level of federal transfer payments now totaling 35% of Manitoba’s annual revenue, this NDP government still can’t keep its hands out of the cookie jar.  Year after year, it spends every new dollar it receives and then some, not to mention going over budget.”

Hawranik said Manitobans deserve better.

“As a result of the NDP’s improper financial planning and an uncontrollable appetite for spending, Manitoba’s highways and bridges have been ignored, our child welfare system has been routinely mismanaged and promise after promise about fixing our health care system have been broken,” he continued.  “We can’t afford another four years NDP mismanagement.  It’s time to get Manitoba and its finances back on track.”